June 21, 2024 to June 24, 2024
Shakedown Trip #1
Vancouver-Victoria-Duncan-Salt Spring-Victoria-Vancouver
Preparing for this trip I wanted to eliminate a lot of the nuisance things that are fine for a couple of days but super annoying longer term. I'll write a specific post about the gear I'm carrying but this trip was mainly to test all the gear. I intentionally carried more than I needed to get a feel for how things fit into the bags. Over the years backpacking and bikepacking I've learned that less is more. It's much easier to go light and far.
On the handlebars I wanted a waterproof roll up bag that I didn't have to fasten and unfasten every time I removed the bag. I decided on Revelate Designs Pronghorn Bag. Essentially, this systems mounts to your bars with a clipping mechanism that lets you easily remove and refasten the roll bag (grey bag). I added their Egress Pocket bag (black bag) for carrying batteries, wallet, passport etc. I will remove the Egress bag at every stop because it has my valuables. It also has a shoulder strap so I can look a bit European.
Also on the bars I have 2 feedbags made by Chrome and a top tube bag from Rockbros. On a side note, I've been very happy with the Rockbros bags. I have the TT bag, frame bag, and tail bag. They are a very affordable way to get into bikepacking.
On the back rack I decided on Revelate Designs 14 L Tarapin Dry Bag. I could have just used any dry bag but this one is made of super tough material and waterproof so I don't need to worry about it.
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We decided to tackle a section of trail from Victoria to Lake Cowichan area, returning through Duncan, Salt Spring Island and back to Victoria. I also rode the 75 km from home to Peter's house in Victoria and return.
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This trip we didn't carry any fuel or pots because we hadn't purchased the pots yet. More on them later.
This summer I've ridden a lot less than normal. I haven't lost interest in riding I've just been prioritizing tennis over bikes and there's only so much time. That means I was mildly concerned about my fitness compared to Peter. It turned out to not be an issue. There are a few giant hills on this route and I rode every one, albeit a bit slower than Peter. He rides every single day and often on a single speed bike. It shows. He's great up hills.
We stayed at Stoltz Pool Campground that's located about 10 km from Lake Cowichan. On this trip we didn't actually go to Lake Cowichan because we've both been many times and we didn't need any food. We started the day with a huge load of snacks from Peter's, stopped for lunch, and grabbed supplies for dinner.
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The next day we rode from the Campground, through Duncan and over to Salt Spring Island. For whatever reason, I've never been to Salt Spring Island. And for this trip I can't report a whole lot because we literally rode from one ferry and straight to the next one. Every Island has narrow roads with no bike lanes but generally the drivers are respectful and they patiently wait to pass.
This was a great shakeout trip. I learned that everything on the bars was great. I didn't like the way I was attaching the bag on the back rack and I've since improved that set up. I also learned again that my frame bag is painfully small. My fitness was acceptable logging 350 km over 4 days without pain and agony. We are both going to try and stretch every day after riding and we did on this trip. Yay us! Learning.
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1 month ago